Technomad Schedulon Automates Music and Announcements for Simi Valley Hospital

Technomad LLC, a leader in advanced loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces that Simi Valley Hospital, one of 17 hospitals operated by Adventist Health in the western United States, is using two Technomad Schedulon automatic MP3 players for scheduled and on-demand playback of audio files in multiple locations of the hospital.

Located in Simi Valley, California, Simi Valley Hospital is a 201-bed acute care facility featuring the Nancy Reagan Breast Center, emergency services, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, pediatric rehabilitation, ICU/Telemetry, a Level II NICU and impatient and outpatient surgery among other medical services. The Schedulon provides dual-functionality for the hospital, essentially acting as two devices in a single 1RU system: a sophisticated, networked, scheduled-audio player that plays sounds on a user-defined schedule; and a simple, on-demand audio file player that acts as a rugged, rackmount iPod with sounds ‘hard-assigned’ to knob positions for quick-predictable access.

At Simi Valley Hospital, both units are used to deliver music and announcements to various locations at specific times, including the main entrance. The systems provide an easy-to-manage user interface for uploading and scheduling files, eliminating the need for Simi Valley telecom and IT staff to fumble with CDs and traditional playback systems.

“The Schedulon provides a digital device that is simple to operate without mechanical parts, making it reliable and leaving little possibility for system failures,” said Greg Eslinger, Telecom Department Manager for Simi Valley Hospital and Adventist Health. “The ease of building a schedule and playing files on-demand are standout features, and its automated features reliably play audio as scheduled.”

Eslinger uses one Schedulon to play soft music at the main entrance from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. The Schedulon plays a seven-minute loop of instrumental music to instill a soothing effect and de-stress visitors and patients as they enter the hospital.

The second system delivers music and announcements including information on visiting hours and daily prayers from the hospital chaplain to the Main Campus, North and South Patient Care Towers, North Campus plus other buildings. Simi Valley Hospital licenses music such as “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds which plays every two hours at normal volume from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and softly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to signal nurses and patient care staff to reposition bed-confined patients to help reduce pressure ulcers.

In addition to ripping files from CDs, Eslinger has added a professional microphone and recording system that is currently used to record the chaplain’s prayers directly into the Schedulon. He expects to also use this in the future to record security and emergency-related announcements in addition to other messages.

“The Schedulon has a front push-and-turn knob that we currently use mostly for testing purposes but I expect will be used for on-demand playback of messages in the future,” said Eslinger. “We have four-shifts of telecom operators, and the goal is that they could trigger specific messages based on Codes they receive. We will also take better advantage of password protection and other user safeguards when we begin using the on-demand functions more regularly.”

Eslinger currently has the Schedulons installed in secured network areas where the IT staff can gain immediate access. The compact size also allows for simple front desk installation, where support staff can access the Schedulon’s on-demand features in response to emergencies and special events, while the unit continues to play sounds on a schedule with no user interaction.

Eslinger adds that his overhead paging system and primary Schedulon is plugged into a 40kW UPS in the Technology Services Center which is backed up by two-1MW diesel power generators giving 100% power reliability; and the main entrance Schedulon is plugged into ePower.

Based on Technomad’s unique military technology, the Schedulon provides instant playback of up to 99 knob-assigned, user-loaded audio files from a front-panel screen, and allows automatic playback on a user-defined schedule based on an internal clock or synchronized network time server. Scheduling can be as straightforward or complex as desired, down to the exact time of day. Operators can interrupt automatic messages and play a knob-assigned siren or emergency announcement from an internal sound library in critical situations.

Operators can also use the Schedulon to record field audio for instant or future playback via the user-defined schedule. All recording, uploading and scheduling tasks can be achieved without the need for a computer or web browser to minimize the risk of crashes and viruses. The company recently announced a new internal power backup option that provides a battery for up to 20 minutes of audio depending on quality; and keeps scheduled events on target for approximately 75 minutes.